Etc. . . .

The connections of injured Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro - owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson; his trainer, Michael Matz; assistant trainer and exercise rider Peter Brette; and jockey Edgar Prado - have been named winners of the Mr. Fitz Award from the National Turf Writers Association, presented annually to an individual or group for typifying the spirit of racing. Also to be honored by the turf writers on Nov. 1 are Dr. Dean W. Richardson and the New Bolton Center, responsible for Barbaro's treatment, who will receive the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing, and Steven Crist, chairman and publisher of Daily Racing Form, named winner of the the Walter Haight Award for excellence in turf writing. . . . Tampa Bay Downs has named Allison De Luca director of racing and racing secretary for its 2006-07 Thoroughbred meet. De Luca will be leaving assistant racing secretary positions at both Churchill Downs and Keeneland. . . . Go Poppa Fooze, ridden by Carlos Gonzalez, picked up his first stakes win in Friday's $50,000 Minstrel Stakes at Louisiana Downs, defeating the favored L'Grande d'Oro by nine lengths. Trained by Cole Norman, Go Poppa Fooze ($7.60) covered the six furlongs in 1:10.13 . . . . Pyrite Angel led almost every step of the way in an 11 1/2-length win over eight Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies in the $40,000 Miss Ohio Stakes at Thistledown on Friday. Ridden by Luis Martinez Jr. for trainer Miguel Feliciano, Pyrite Angel ($3.20) covered the six furlongs in 1:12.52. . . . Jockey Ted Gondron won the 2,000th race of his career Thursday night when he rode Silver Wind to victory in the featured eighth race at Retama Park. Gondron is the all-time winningest Thoroughbred rider at Sam Houston Race Park with 547 victories and has won several riding titles at Retama.